Quiz: Howstuffworks

The Most Addictive Substances on Earth Quiz

About This Quiz

Hey, it's cool — you can stop at anytime. But take just one more quiz. It won't kill you.

Before we get into some of the substances we can't get enough of, let's establish some things about addiction. What is happening to your brain when you take drugs?

The chemicals in drugs send abnormal messages to the brain.

Natural neurotransmitters overwhelm the brain's reward system.

both

Some drugs produce tons of dopamine, some activate nerves to fool the brain.

Dopamine is also present when:

You're happy.

You're eating.

both

Because dopamine is connected to pleasure, you're not just going to get it by doing heroin.

When you're abusing drugs, dopamine or dopamine receptors:

increase

decrease

stay the same

Thus, the drugs work less well.

What else happens when dopamine is decreased?

You get a dry mouth.

Your skin itches.

You get unhappy in general.

It's not just that the drugs work less well — you also have a harder time experiencing pleasure as the dopamine levels struggle to keep up.

Who is going to get addicted?

A person whose parents were addicted to drugs.

A person who sees a lot of drug use.

No one is certain.

While environment and genetics probably contribute, scientists still can't determine who is at the most risk.

There has been some research that shows sugar:

makes no difference as a diet additive

is better for you than salt

was preferable over cocaine to lab rats

A 2007 study said that rats preferred intensely sweet substances over cocaine.

A 2013 study argued that sex addiction was:

actually love addiction

not really an addiction

surprisingly common

The study found that the individuals had high sex desire and not necessarily disordered hypersexuality.

Marijuana:

can be addictive

isn't addictive

isn't addictive if you're an adult

Don't listen to peer pressure: marijuana, like all drugs, can lead to dependence.

Earlier marijuana use increases the chance of what?

psychosis

depression

addiction

If you begin using marijuana as a teen, you have a 1 in 6 chance of dependence compared to 1 in 9 for adults.

What other unfortunate side effect might occur in adulthood with earlier marijuana use?

impotence

low libido

lower IQ

Some research suggests that teen use of marijuana leads to lower IQ scores in later life.

K2 and spice are:

synthetic opioids

synthetic cannaboids

synthetic marijuana

Note that synthetic cannaboids aren't the same as synthetic marijuana; they mimic the chemicals in marijuana but are not natural alternatives.

Opioid prescription medicine is prescribed for:

pain

addiction

fun!

Opioids are powerful pain relievers.

More people in the U.S. die from opioid painkiller overdoses than:

heroin

cocaine

both combined

Prescription opioid abuse and overdoses has become a serious health issue in the United States.

Adderall is a:

opioid

depressant

stimulant

While Adderall works to focus those with ADHD, it's actually a stimulant.

Some depressants are also used (and abused) as:

sleeping pills

painkillers

both

While sleeping pills or painkillers such as Valium can be extremely beneficial, they also can be abused for their sedative effect.

Codeine and promethazine are ingredients in what?

sizzurp

purple drank

both

It may be called by different names, but the combination of cough syrup and soda is addictive no matter what.

Alcohol addiction increases the risk of what cancer?

mouth

esophagus

both

Drinking alcohol also increases the risk for breast and liver cancer.

In 2012, how many Americans 18 or older were diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder?

2 percent

7 percent

14 percent

Alcohol use disorder is the medical diagnosis for severe problem drinking.

Methamphetamine use has been shown to:

change how the brain functions

make users dumb

cause users to lose their looks

The dopamine activity systems are so modified by meth that verbal learning and motor skills are damaged.

Anabolic steroids are often abused for:

athletic performance

to create a more winning smile

increase the tan of those with light skin

Keep in mind that this kind of abuse often involves using steroids many times more powerful than doctors would prescribe.

Anabolic steroids:

don't have an acute effect on the brain

won't make you sad

can't actually increase muscle mass

But don't be fooled. . .

While they might not immediately affect you like other drugs, anabolic steroids will:

eat a hole in your brain

give you anxiety

still affect your brain's chemicals and functioning, and long-term use will impact mood and behavior like traditional drugs.

Again — using drugs just isn't a good idea.

Abusing steroids can also:

cause male genitalia to shrink

cause female facial hair growth

both

Hopefully that scares you.

"Bath salts" are a group of drugs that chemically simulate a stimulant found in what plant?

marijuana

khat

poppies

They're actually called "cathiones" and were marked as "bath salts" so law enforcement didn't suspect them.

A cocaine high is stronger if:

it's snorted

it's smoked

Neither high is very strong.

While snorting cocaine may produce a longer high, smoking presents a much stronger, quicker high — and thus will lead to more use.

Cocaine or crack can cause:

nail biting

boredom

cardiac arrest

It can lead to heart attacks and strokes, but probably has spawned its fair share of nail-biting too.

Molly is the pure form of:

cocaine

marijuana

ecstasy

But beware that Molly is often just ecstasy, or ecstasy mixed with something else.

PCP is prescribed for:

pain

sleep

nothing, anymore

PCP was once used as an anesthetic, but its side effects proved to be much too harmful and is no longer in use medically.

What drug causes one of every five deaths in the U.S. every year?

meth

heroin

tobacco

Seriously, tobacco is not something you want to dabble in.

Tobacco killed how many people in the 20th century?

100 million

40 million

25 million

Yeah, again — nicotine is no joke. Get away and stay away.

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